Father of Michigan church shooter apologizes to victims

Officials say Thomas Jacob Sanford rammed his truck bearing two American flags into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then opened fire on hundreds of worshippers.Show Caption

Authorities were searching for additional victims in the charred ruins of a Michigan church following an attack that killed four people and injured others.Thomas Jacob Sanford set fire to the church building with gasoline while firing on worshippers with an assault rifle, police said.Sanford was killed by police during a shootout in the church parking lot.Sanford called Mormons "the Antichrist" in a rant to a local political candidate a week before his attack on the church.Editor's note: This page is a summary of news on the Michigan church attack for Monday, Sept. 29. For the latest news, view our updates file for Tuesday, Sept. 30.The father of a former Marine who police say carried out a horrifying attack on a Michigan church full of worshippers is apologizing in an exclusive interview with the USA TODAY Network as the community grieves and looks for answers. What should have been a peaceful Sunday of worship turned into the stuff of nightmares when police say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford rammed a GMC pickup truck bearing two American flags into the church on Sunday, Sept. 28. He then opened fire on hundreds of worshippers and used gasoline to set the building ablaze, killing four people and injuring eight others, including one who was in critical condition, authorities said. Sanford was killed in a gunfight with police.Sanford's father, Thomas Sanford, spoke about his son during a brief phone interview with the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Monday Sept. 29. He apologized to the families of the victims."I feel terrible about all the families that have been hurt and they're under the same crap that I'm going under, that my wife and I are going under," the elder Sanford said, his voice breaking slightly as he spoke. "I apologize for that."Sanford said his son was a four-year Marine who served in Iraq, and was devoted to his family and his country. He wouldn't say whether the war changed his son."He came back. I'm glad he came back in one piece," Sanford said.Meanwhile a local politician running for office told the Detroit Free Press that he recently spoke with Thomas Jacob Sanford. While canvassing neighborhoods to talk with voters a week ago, the younger Sanford opened his door and spoke with Kris Johns, a candidate for the local Burton City Council.Johns said that Sanford ranted against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and called Mormons "the Antichrist."“It was very much standard anti-LDS talking points that you would find on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook," said Johns, adding that he has spoken with local police and the FBI about the encounter.Officials including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did not address Sanford's reported comments or provide any information about a possible motive during a news conference on Monday.Investigators recovered improvised explosive devices after the attack, said James Deir, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Detroit field office. Deir did not say where the devices were recovered.The attack was the latest to break out at a place of worship in recent years. Most recently, a gunman opened fire at a Catholic church in Minnesota where hundreds of young students were attending Mass last month, killing two children and wounding at least 17 people.In the wake of Sunday's shooting, President Donald Trump called for an end to what he described as an "epidemic of violence in our country."And as the Michigan community continues to grieve, officials also arrested a 21-year-old who allegedly tried to drive through the police barricade blocking the church on Monday.Drone video shows aftermath of fire and shootingDrone video captured the aftermath of the deadly Sunday morning shooting and arson attack.The footage shows flames shooting from what is left of the Michigan church, with plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above. Emergency vehicles, state troopers and other law enforcement officials can also be seen surrounding the crime scene. See the footage here.− Natalie Neysa AlundWhat is Thomas Jacob Sanford's criminal history?Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said Sanford had previously been arrested on charges including burglary and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.Reyne did not say when or where those arrests occured.Police detain man who approached church with a long gunOfficers on Monday stopped a man who tried to drive through the police barricade surrounding the church where Sunday's attack took place.Inside the man's car, officers found a long gun in the front seat, according to Detroit Free Press reporters who saw the weapon being removed from the car.At a news conference, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said a 21-year-old man was taken into custody and that officers were "still in the process of investigating that incident."Child, 6, among those injured in church attackDr. Michael Danic, medical chief of staff at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, said eight patients ranging in age from 6 to 78 were treated for gunshot wounds and smoke inhalation following the attack.Five people were treated for gunshot wounds, including one patient who died in the emergency department, another who remains in critical condition and a child who was stabilized and transferred. Two of the patients treated for smoke inhalation have been discharged, and a third is still intubated, according to Danic.Danic said that a number of resident physicians at the hospital − doctors in training − are members of the church and were present during the attack. He said some helped drag people out of the flames and cared for victims at the scene.– N'dea Yancey-BraggChurch leaders rally to help members who were attackedLeaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the U.S. are mobilizing to help members of their group affected by the Sept. 28 attack against their church.Senior leaders are working with the church in Grand Blanc Township and talking out what's needed for the congregation that's "traumatized, physically, emotionally, in every other way," Greg Geiger, spokesman for the church's metro Detroit region, told the Free Press on Monday."So our focus at the moment really is on how can we help, help the survivors and all those impacted ... to make it through and to begin to deal with the feelings that they have," he said.Geiger, who is also president of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, did not comment on the possibility that bias against members of the church may have played a role in the attack.– Niraj WarikooWhitmer asks for patience as investigators hunt for motiveMichigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Grand Blanc Township on Monday and urged people to exercise restraint as authorities continue to investigate the deadly assault.“Speculation is unhelpful and it can be downright dangerous," she said, asking that people "lower the temperature of rhetoric.”Whitmer ordered to flags be flown at half staff and said she spoke with President Donald Trump after the attack."I know that this community is reeling right now, but I want you to know that the state of Michigan has your back," she said. "Your grief is our grief."Shooting suspect served in the Marines, was deployed to IraqThe U.S. Marine Corps confirmed that Sanford served in the corps between 2004 and 2008, where he held the rank of sergeant and worked as an Organizational Automotive Mechanic and Vehicle Recovery Operator. Sanford was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom for just over six months ending in early 2008. He was awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. His last assignment was to a maintenance battalion in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.– Will CarlessChurch attack among several mass shootings over the weekendThe incident was one of a dozen mass shootings in Michigan this year and the deadliest among six mass shootings reported in the U.S. over the weekend.As of Sept. 28, there have been 324 mass shootings this year in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more people are injured or killed by gunfire, not including the suspect.Other violent incidents that erupted over the weekend include a mass shooting at a riverside bar in North Carolina where a gunman fatally shot three people and wounded eight others.– Kristi Tanner, Detroit Free PressStriking nurses barred from aiding church shooting victimsNearly 750 registered nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc were on strike Sunday when violence erupted at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some said they offered to help the hospital after the deadly church shooting but were turned away.In a statement to The Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, the hospital said it couldn’t allow the nurses to assist for “security and patient privacy reasons.” The statement added that the hospital was “able to care for the patients from the church tragedy without additional help.”– Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press'Devastating': Residents, clergy gather at vigil for victims of church attackMourners across central Michigan gathered on a football field shortly after the shooting to pray for the victims in the attack, their families and those impacted by other violent incidents across the country.The vigil was planned weeks ago by the Genesee County Republican Party as a reaction to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The event, which was held on the football field of Holy Redeemer Church in Burton, focused primarily on the deadly church rampage that broke out less than 10 miles away.Pastor Timothy Hicks of Christian Love Faith Center in Flint attended the vigil. He said he heard the news of the shooting while leading service at his own church and paused to lead his congregation in praying for the victims.“You can only imagine how devastating it is when you think you’re in a place of safety, a place of worship and then all of a sudden lives are taken at the sound of a gunshot,” Hicks said.– Tess Ware, Detroit Free PressSchools cancel classes following deadly church attackMultiple public school districts canceled classes and after-school activities on Monday, Sept. 29, in the aftermath of the deadly attack on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.The Grand Blanc Community Schools System on Sept. 28 announced the temporary closure that will impact 13 campuses operated by the district. Several other school districts in Genesee County also decided to cancel classes for the day, including Atherton Community Schools and Goodrich Area Schools."We know this tragedy has weighed heavily on our students, staff, and families. The visible police activity throughout the community has created understandable distraction and unease,” said a statement from Goodrich Area Schools. “We believe taking this day will allow space for healing and for families to be together."'I know everyone who was there': Residents in shock after church shootingCentral Michigan residents expressed disbelief in the wake of the deadly attack."I am very shaken up," Stephanie Giddings, whose daughter had recently been baptized at the chapel, told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. "They're family."Phillip Cotter, a Clio resident, was a member of the Grand Blanc Township church but didn't attend morning services the day of the shooting. "I know everyone who was there," he said, choking up with emotion as tears welled in his eyes.Tony Deck, 56, said he was sitting on the porch Sunday morning, Sept. 28, when law enforcement vehicles from various agencies flew by his home. He said he knew something was gravely wrong, so he jumped in his car and followed them to the church, where he saw the suspect’s truck burning, the bodies of the dead and first responders arriving with gurneys and rescue gear."It’s an extremely sad day," said Deck. "Grand Blanc is a good and quiet town and definitely doesn’t deserve this."Contributing: Karissa Waddick, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Thao Nguyen, Joey Garrison, Chris Quintana and Dinah Voyles Pulver